  Discovery Box

Proverbs 28

but the righteous person is as confident 2  as a lion.

28:3 A poor person 7  who oppresses the weak

is like 8  a driving rain without food. 9

but those who keep the law contend 12  with them.

28:5 Evil people 13  do not understand justice, 14

but those who seek the Lord 15  understand it all.

gathers it for someone who is gracious 25  to the needy.

even his prayer 27  is an abomination. 28

will himself fall into his own pit, 29

but the blameless will inherit what is good. 30

but a discerning poor person can evaluate him properly. 33

but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy. 39

but whoever hardens his heart 41  will fall into evil.

so is a wicked ruler over a poor people. 44

let no one support him.

28:21 To show partiality 58  is terrible, 59

28:22 The stingy person 61  hastens after riches

and does not know that poverty will overtake him. 62

than the one who flatters 66  with the tongue.

is a companion 68  to the one 69  who destroys.

28:25 The greedy person 70  stirs up dissension, 71

but the one who walks in wisdom 75  will escape. 76

but when they perish, 84  the righteous increase.

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1 sn The line portrays the insecurity of a guilty person – he flees because he has a guilty conscience, or because he is suspicious of others around him, or because he fears judgment.

2 tn The verb בָּטַח (batakh) means “to trust; to be secure; to be confident.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “bold.”

sn The righteous, who seek to find favor with God and man, have a clear conscience and do not need to look over their shoulders for avengers or law enforcers. Their position is one of confidence, so that they do not flee.

3 sn The Hebrew word translated “rebellious” has rebellion as its basic meaning, and that is the idea here. The proverb is describing a time when sinfulness brings about social and political unrest.

4 tn Heb “many are its princes” (so NASB).

sn In such a chaotic time there will be many rulers, either simultaneously or in a rapid sequence. The times of the judges or the days of the northern kings of Israel provide examples.

5 tn Heb “a man who understands [and] knows”; NRSV “an intelligent ruler”; NLT “wise and knowledgeable leaders.”

6 tc The LXX reads (probably from a different underlying Hebrew text): “It is the fault of a violent man that quarrels start, but they are settled by a man of discernment.” For a survey of suggestions, see C. H. Toy, Proverbs (ICC), 495, and W. McKane, Proverbs (OTL), 630.

tn This last line is difficult. The MT has כֵּן יַאֲרִיךְ (ken yaarikh). The verb means “to prolong,” but כֵּן (ken) is open to several possibilities for meaning. J. H. Greenstone’s interpretation of it as a noun from the Hollow root כּוּן (kun) with a meaning of “established order” is what is expected here (Proverbs, 293).

sn For a study of the verses in chapters 28 and 29 concerning kings and governments, see B. V. Malchow, “A Manual for Future Monarchs,” CBQ 47 (1985): 238-45.

7 tc The MT reads “a poor man,” גֶּבֶר רָשׁ (gever rash); cf. KJV, NASB, NLT. The problem is that the poor in the book of Proverbs is not an oppressor and does not have the power to be such. So commentators assume the word is incorrect. By a slight change to רָשָׁע (rasha’) the reading becomes “a wicked ruler” [Heb “a wicked mighty man”]. There is no textual support for this change. The LXX, however, reads, “A courageous man oppresses the poor with impieties.” If “a poor man” is retained, then the oppression would include betrayal – one would expect a poor man to have sympathy for others who are impoverished, but in fact that is not the case. It is a sad commentary on human nature that the truly oppressed people can also be oppressed by other poor people.

8 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

9 sn “Food” is a metonymy of effect here. The picture is of the driving rain that should cause crops to grow so that food can be produced – but does not (some English versions assume the crops are destroyed instead, e.g., NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). The point the proverb is making is that a show of strength may not produce anything except ruin.

10 sn Some commentators do not think that the word refers to the Mosaic law, but to “instruction” or “teaching” in general (cf. NCV “who disobey what they have been taught”). However, the expression “keep the law” in the second line indicates that it is binding, which would not be true of teaching in general (J. Bright, “The Apodictic Prohibition: Some Observations,” JBL 92 [1973]: 185-204). Moreover, Proverbs 28:9 and 29:18 refer to the law, and this chapter has a stress on piety.

11 sn The proverb gives the outcome and the evidence of those who forsake the law – they “praise the wicked.” This may mean (1) calling the wicked good or (2) justifying what the wicked do, for such people are no longer sensitive to evil.

12 tn The verb is the Hitpael imperfect of גָּרָה (garah), which means “to stir up strife” but in this stem means “to engage in strife” (cf. NIV “resist them”). Tg. Prov 28:4 adds an explanatory expansion, “so as to induce them to repent.”

13 tn Heb “men of evil”; the context does not limit this to males only, however.

14 tn The term translated “justice” is מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat); it refers to the legal rights of people, decisions that are equitable in the community. W. G. Plaut observes that there are always those who think that “justice” is that which benefits them, otherwise it is not justice (Proverbs, 282).

15 sn The contrast (and the difference) is between the wicked and those who seek the Lord. Originally the idea of seeking the Lord meant to obtain an oracle (2 Sam 21:1), but then it came to mean devotion to God – seeking to learn and do his will. Only people who are interested in doing the Lord’s will can fully understand justice. Without that standard, legal activity can become self-serving.

16 sn This chapter gives a lot of attention to the contrast between the poor and the rich, assuming an integrity for the poor that is not present with the rich; the subject is addressed in vv. 6, 8, 11, 20, 22, 25, and 27 (G. A. Chutter, “Riches and Poverty in the Book of Proverbs,” Crux 18 [1982]: 23-28).

17 tn The Hebrew term translated “ways” is in the dual, suggesting that the person has double ways, i.e., he is hypocritical. C. H. Toy does not like this idea and changes the form to the plural (Proverbs [ICC], 497), but his emendation is gratuitous and should be rejected.

18 tn Heb “and he is rich.” Many English versions treat this as a concessive clause (cf. KJV “though he be rich”).

19 sn This is another “better” saying, contrasting a poor person who has integrity with a rich person who is perverse. Of course there are rich people with integrity and perverse poor people, but that is not of interest here. If it came to the choices described here, honest poverty is better than corrupt wealth.

20 tn The Hebrew word could refer (1) to “instruction” by the father (cf. NCV) or (2) the Mosaic law (so most English versions). The chapter seems to be stressing religious obedience, so the referent is probably the law. Besides, the father’s teaching will be what the law demands, and the one who associates with gluttons is not abiding by the law.

21 tn Heb “son,” but the immediate context does not suggest limiting this only to male children.

22 sn The companion of gluttons shames his father and his family because such a life style as he now embraces is both unruly and antisocial.

23 tn Heb “father,” but the immediate context does not suggest limiting this only to the male parent.

24 tn Heb “by interest and increase” (so ASV; NASB “by interest and usury”; NAB “by interest and overcharge.” The two words seem to be synonyms; they probably form a nominal hendiadys, meaning “by increasing [exorbitant] interest.” The law prohibited making a commission or charging interest (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:20; Ps 15:5). If the poor needed help, the rich were to help them – but not charge them interest.

25 tn The term חוֹנֵן (khonen, “someone who shows favor”) is the active participle.

sn The verse is saying that in God’s justice wealth amassed unjustly will eventually go to the poor. God will take the wealth away from them and give it to people who will distribute it better to the poor.

26 sn The expression “turn away the ear from hearing” uses a metonymy to mean that this individual will not listen – it indicates a deliberate refusal to follow the instruction of the law.

27 sn It is hard to imagine how someone who willfully refuses to obey the law of God would pray according to the will of God. Such a person is more apt to pray for some physical thing or make demands on God. (Of course a prayer of repentance would be an exception and would not be an abomination to the Lord.)

28 sn C. H. Toy says, “If a man, on his part, is deaf to instruction, then God, on his part, is deaf to prayer” (Proverbs [ICC], 499). And W. McKane observes that one who fails to attend to God’s law is a wicked person, even if he is a man of prayer (Proverbs [OTL], 623).

29 sn The image of falling into a pit (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis, involving implied comparison) is meant to say that the evil to which he guides people will ultimately destroy him.

30 sn This proverb is teaching that those who corrupt others will be destroyed, usually by their own devices, but those who manage to avoid being corrupted will be rewarded. According to this proverb the righteous can be led astray (e.g., 26:27).

31 tn Heb “a rich man,” although the context does not indicate that this is limited only to males.

32 sn The idiom “in his own eyes” means “in his own opinion,” that is, his self conceit. The rich person thinks he is wise because he is rich, that he has made all the right choices.

33 tn The form יַחְקְרֶנּוּ (yakhqÿrennu) means “he searches him” (cf. KJV, ASV) or “he examines him”; a potential imperfect nuance fits well here to indicate that a discerning person, even though poor, can search the flaws of the rich and see through the pretension and the false assumptions (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV “sees through him”). Several commentators have connected the word to the Arabic root hqr, which means “despise” (D. W. Thomas, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 38 [1937]: 400-403), but that would be both predictable and flat.

34 tn The form בַּעֲלֹץ (baalots) is the infinitive construct with the preposition indicating a temporal clause (“when…”); the “righteous” are the subject of this clause (subjective genitive). The word may be taken as a metonymy of adjunct – the righteous exult or rejoice because they are prosperous (cf. NLT “succeed”).

35 sn “Glory” here may have the sense of elation and praise.

36 tn The meaning of “sought out” (יְחֻפַּשׂ, yÿkhuppas) indicates that people have gone into hiding. So the development of the ideas for this proverb require in the first line that “rejoice” be connected with “triumph” that means they have come to power; and in the second line that “are sought out” means people have gone into hiding (cf. ASV, NIV, NRSV, NLT). C. H. Toy thinks this is too strained; he offers this rendering: “When the righteous are exalted there is great confidence, but when the wicked come into power men hide themselves” (Proverbs [ICC], 500). For the verb G. R. Driver posits an Arabic cognate hafasa, “prostrated; trampled on” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 [1951]: 192-93), which gives a clearer result of wicked rule, but is perhaps unnecessary (e.g., Prov 28:28; 29:2). See J. A. Emerton, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 20 (1969): 202-20.

37 tn The Hebrew participles provide the subject matter in this contrast. On the one hand is the person who covers over (מְכַסֶּה, mÿkhasseh) his sins. This means refusing to acknowledge them in confession, and perhaps rationalizing them away. On the other hand there is the one who both “confesses” (מוֹדֶה, modeh) and “forsakes” (עֹזֵב, ’ozev) the sin. To “confess” sins means to acknowledge them, to say the same thing about them that God does.

38 sn The verse contrasts the consequences of each. The person who refuses to confess will not prosper. This is an understatement (a figure of speech known as tapeinosis); the opposite is the truth, that eventually such a person will be undone and ruined. On the other hand, the penitent will find mercy. This expression is a metonymy of cause for the effect – although “mercy” is mentioned, what mercy provides is intended, i.e., forgiveness. In other passages the verb “conceal” is used of God’s forgiveness – he covers over the iniquity (Ps 32:1). Whoever acknowledges sin, God will cover it; whoever covers it, God will lay it open.

39 sn This verse is unique in the book of Proverbs; it captures the theology of forgiveness (e.g., Pss 32 and 51). Every part of the passage is essential to the point: Confession of sins as opposed to concealing them, coupled with a turning away from them, results in mercy.

40 tn Most commentators (and some English versions, e.g., NIV) assume that the participle מְפַחֵד (mÿfakhed, “fears”) means “fears the Lord,” even though “the Lord” is not present in the text. Such an assumption would be more convincing if the word יִרְאַת (yirat) had been used. It is possible that the verse refers to fearing sin or its consequences. In other words, the one who is always apprehensive about the nature and consequences of sin will avoid sin and find God’s blessing. Of course the assumption that the phrase means “fear the Lord” could be correct as well. There would be little difference in the outcome; in either case sin would be avoided.

41 sn The one who “hardens his heart” in this context is the person who refuses to fear sin and its consequences. The image of the “hard heart” is one of a stubborn will, unyielding and unbending (cf. NCV, TEV, NLT). This individual will fall into sin.

42 tn The term “like” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

43 sn The comparison uses animals that are powerful, terrifying, insensitive, and in search of prey. Because political tyrants are like this, animal imagery of this sort is also used in Dan 7:1-8 for the series of ruthless world powers.

44 sn A poor nation under the control of political tyrants who are dangerous and destructive is helpless. The people of that nation will crumble under them because they cannot meet their demands and are of no use to them.

45 tn Heb “A prince lacking of understanding [is] also a great oppressor” (both KJV, ASV similar) The last clause, “and a great oppressor,” appears to modify “the prince.” There is little difference in meaning, only in emphasis. The LXX has “lacks income” (reading תְּבוּאוֹת [tÿvuot] instead of תְּבוּנוֹת [tÿvunot]). C. H. Toy (Proverbs [ICC], 501) suggests deleting the word for “prince” altogether, but this emendation is gratuitous.

46 tc This follows the Qere reading of the participle which is singular (as opposed to the plural). The implication is that this one is also a ruler, paralleling the first half. But since he “hates” (= rejects) unjust gain he will extend [his] days, meaning he will enjoy a long and happy life (cf. NIV, NRSV, CEV).

47 tn The form is the Qal passive participle. The verb means “to oppress; to wrong; to extort”; here the idea of being “oppressed” would refer to the burden of a guilty conscience (hence “tormented”; cf. NAB, NRSV “burdened”). Some commentators have wanted to emend the text to read “suspected,” or “charged with,” or “given to,” etc., but if the motive is religious and not legal, then “oppressed” or “tormented” is preferred.

48 sn The text has “the blood of a life”; blood will be the metonymy of effect for the murder, the shedding of blood.

49 tn The verse is cryptic; it simply says that he will “flee to the pit.” Some have taken the “pit” to refer to the place of detention for prisoners, but why would he flee to that place? It seems rather to refer to death. This could mean that (1) since there is no place for him to go outside of the grave, he should flee to the pit (cf. TEV, NLT), or (2) he will be a fugitive until he goes to the grave (cf. NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV). Neither one of these options is easily derived from the text. The verse seems to be saying that the one who is guilty of murder will flee, and no one should assist him. The meaning of “the pit” is unresolved.

50 tn The form is the Niphal imperfect of יָשַׁע (yasha’, “will be saved”). In all probability this refers to deliverance from misfortune. Some render it “kept safe” (NIV) or “will be safe” (NRSV, TEV). It must be interpreted in contrast to the corrupt person who will fall.

51 tn The Qal imperfect יִפּוֹל (yipol) is given a future translation in this context, as is the previous verb (“will be delivered”) because the working out of divine retribution appears to be coming suddenly in the future. The idea of “falling” could be a metonymy of adjunct (with the falling accompanying the ruin that comes to the person), or it may simply be a comparison between falling and being destroyed. Cf. NCV “will suddenly be ruined”; NLT “will be destroyed.”

52 tn The last word in the verse, בְּאֶחָת (bÿekhat), means “in one [= at once (?)].” This may indicate a sudden fall, for falling “in one” (the literal meaning) makes no sense. W. McKane wishes to emend the text to read “into a pit” based on v. 10b (Proverbs [OTL], 622); this emendation is followed by NAB, NRSV.

53 tn Or “will have plenty of food” (Heb “bread”); so NAB, NASB, NCV.

54 tn Heb “empty things” or “vain things”; NRSV “follows worthless pursuits.”

sn Prosperity depends on diligent work and not on chasing empty dreams. The proverb is essentially the same as Prov 12:11 except for the last expression.

55 tn The repetition of the verb strengthens the contrast. Both halves of the verse use the verb יִשְׂבַּע (yisba’, “will be satisfied; will be filled with; will have enough”). It is positive in the first colon, but negative in the second – with an ironic twist to say one is “satisfied” with poverty.

56 tn Heb “a man of faithfulness,” although the context does not indicate this should be limited only to males.

sn The text does not qualify the nature of the faithfulness. While this would certainly have implications for the person’s righteous acts, its primary meaning may be his diligence and reliability in his work. His faithful work will bring the returns.

57 sn The proverb is not rebuking diligent labor. One who is eager to get rich quickly is the opposite of the faithful person. The first person is faithful to God and to the covenant community; the second is trying to get rich as quickly as possible, at the least without doing an honest day’s work and at the worst dishonestly. In a hurry to gain wealth, he falls into various schemes and will pay for it. Tg. Prov 28:20 interprets this to say he hastens through deceit and wrongdoing.

58 tn The construction uses the Hiphil infinitive הַכֵּר (hakken) as the subject of the sentence: “to have respect for [or, recognize] persons is not good” (e.g., 24:23; 18:5; Deut 1:17; Lev 19:15). Such favoritism is “not good”; instead, it is a miscarriage of justice and is to be avoided.

59 tn Heb “not good.” This is a figure of speech known as tapeinosis – a deliberate understatement to emphasize a worst-case scenario: “it is terrible!”

60 tn The meaning and connection of the line is not readily clear. It could be taken in one of two ways: (1) a person can steal even a small piece of bread if hungry, and so the court should show some compassion, or it should show no partiality even in such a pathetic case; (2) a person could be bribed for a very small price (a small piece of bread being the figure representing this). This second view harmonizes best with the law.

61 tn Heb “a man with an evil eye” (as opposed to the generous man who has a “good” eye). This individual is selfish, unkind, unsympathetic to others. He looks only to his own gain. Cf. NAB “The avaricious man”; NLT “A greedy person.”

62 sn The one who is hasty to gain wealth is involved in sin in some way, for which he will be punished by poverty. The idea of “hastening” after riches suggests a dishonest approach to acquiring wealth.

63 tn Or “rebukes” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

64 tn Heb “a man,” but the context does not indicate this should be limited only to males.

65 tn There is a problem with אַחֲרַי (’akharay), which in the MT reads “after me.” This could be taken to mean “after my instructions,” but that is forced. C. H. Toy suggests simply changing it to “after” or “afterward,” i.e., “in the end” (Proverbs [ICC], 504), a solution most English versions adopt. G. R. Driver suggested an Akkadian cognate ahurru, “common man,” reading “as a rebuker an ordinary man” (“Hebrew Notes,” ZAW 52 [1934]: 147).

66 tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle מַחֲלִיק (makhaliq, “makes smooth”) followed by the adverbial accusative of means, the metonymy “tongue” – he makes what he says smooth. This will be pleasing for the moment, but it will offer no constructive help like the rebuke would.

67 sn While the expression is general enough to cover any kind of robbery, the point seems to be that because it can be rationalized it may refer to prematurely trying to gain control of the family property through some form of pressure and in the process reducing the parents’ possessions and standing in the community. The culprit could claim what he does is not wrong because the estate would be his anyway.

68 sn The metaphor of “companion” here means that a person who would do this is just like the criminally destructive person. It is as if they were working together, for the results are the same.

69 tn Heb “man who destroys” (so NASB); TEV “no better than a common thief.”

70 tn Heb “wide of soul.” This is an idiom meaning “a greedy person.” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, traditionally, “soul”) has here its more basic meaning of appetites (a person is a soul, a bundle of appetites; BDB 660 s.v. 5.a). It would mean “wide of appetite” (רְהַב־נֶפֶשׁ), thus “greedy.”

71 sn Greed “stirs up” the strife. This individual’s attitude and actions stir up dissension because people do not long tolerate him.

72 tn The construction uses the participle בּוֹטֵחַ (boteakh) followed by עַל־יְהוָה (’al-yÿhvah), which gives the sense of “relying confidently on the Lord.” This is the antithesis of the greedy person who pushes to get what he desires.

73 tn The verb דָּשֵׁן (dashen) means “to be fat,” and in the Piel/Pual stems “to make fat/to be made fat” (cf. KJV, ASV). The idea of being “fat” was symbolic of health and prosperity – the one who trusts in the Lord will be abundantly prosperous and fully gratified (cf. NRSV “will be enriched”).

74 sn The idea of “trusting in one’s own heart” is a way of describing one who is self-reliant. C. H. Toy says it means to follow the untrained suggestions of the mind or to rely on one’s own mental resources (Proverbs [ICC], 505). It is arrogant to take no counsel but to rely only on one’s own intelligence.

75 sn The idiom of “walking in wisdom” means to live life according to the acquired skill and knowledge passed on from the sages. It is the wisdom from above that the book of Proverbs presents, not the undisciplined and uninformed wit and wisdom from below.

76 tn The verb form יִמָּלֵט (yimmalet) is the Niphal imperfect; the form means “to escape.” In this context one would conclude that it means “to escape from trouble,” because the one who lives in this life by wisdom will escape trouble, and the one who trusts in himself will not.

77 sn The generous individual will be rewarded. He will not lack nor miss what he has given away to the poor.

78 tn Heb “hides his eyes”; “to them” is supplied in the translation to indicate the link with the poor in the preceding line. Hiding or closing the eyes is a metonymy of cause or of adjunct, indicating a decision not to look on and thereby help the poor. It could also be taken as an implied comparison, i.e., not helping the poor is like closing the eyes to them.

79 tn The term “receives” is not in the Hebrew text but is implied, and is supplied in the translation.

80 sn The text does not specify the nature or the source of the curses. It is natural to think that they would be given by the poor who are being mistreated and ignored. Far from being praised for their contributions to society, selfish, stingy people will be reviled for their heartless indifference.

81 tn Heb “the wicked rise,” referring to an accession to power, as in a government. Cf. TEV “come to power”; NLT “take charge.”

sn The proverb is essentially the same as 28:12 (e.g., Prov 11:10; 29:2, 16). It refers to the wicked “rising to power” in government.

82 tn Heb “a man” or “mankind” in a generic sense.

83 tn The form is the Niphal imperfect of סָתַר (satar, “to hide”); in this stem it can mean “to hide themselves” or “to go into hiding.” In either case the expression would be a hyperbole; the populace would not go into hiding, but they would tread softly and move about cautiously. G. R. Driver suggests the Akkadian sataru instead, which means “to demolish,” and is cognate to the Aramaic “to destroy.” This would produce the idea that people are “destroyed” when the wicked come to power (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 [1951]: 192-93). That meaning certainly fits the idea, but there is no reason for the change because the MT is perfectly readable as it is and makes good sense.

84 tn The two clauses have parallel constructions: They both begin with infinitives construct with prepositions functioning as temporal clauses, followed by subjective genitives (first the wicked, and then the pronoun referring to them). This heightens the antithesis: “when the wicked rise…when they perish.”

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Northern Ireland’s abortion time warp

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of abortions becoming legal throughout most of Britain.

Except in Northern Ireland where women are still legally prevented from accessing NHS abortion services that their peers in England, Scotland and Wales can use.

This situation has been described by Amnesty International as a “postcode lottery” that leaves women unable to afford travel costs in a tough situation.

In a country that has been marred by religious divides throughout its history, this topic has caused a split between both devout Christian opponents and pro-choice human rights campaigners.

This has been caused by the country’s assembly, located in Belfast’s Stormont Buildings, who maintain a near blanket ban on abortions, which even prevents victims of rape, incest or fatal abnormalities from accessing terminations.

Across the rest of Britain, abortions have been legal and free of charge since the 1967 Abortion Act. Though, this has never been extended to Northern Ireland as politicians in its devolved parliament have continuously voiced opposition to the legislation.

On the one hand prominent members from both Catholic and Protestant based political sides have voiced staunch opposition to any changes in laws dating back to 1861.

This opposition has been fronted by several senior politicians with the country’s former health minister Jim Wells being an important voice in the dispute to preserve Northern Ireland’s strict laws.

“The politicians are definitely behind the people of Northern Ireland in terms of understanding human rights and equality.”

In 2012, two years before becoming health minister, Wells came in for criticism from pro-choice campaigners after telling a local radio station that he believed abortions should be banned even for women who had been the victims of rape.

Wells is a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, who are known for their conservative and religiously based politics, and are Northern Ireland’s largest political party.

The DUP, as they are more commonly known, have been under pressure from pro-choice activist groups in recent years for their strong opposition to abortions.

This message has been echoed by their leader, and Northern Ireland First Minister, Arlene Foster who, upon becoming the country’s first ever female leader in January 2016, told The Guardian that she intends to keep strict abortion laws in place.

Foster’s comments came shortly after a high court ruling said Northern Ireland’s current abortion laws are “incompatible” with both European and Human Rights legislation.

But it is not just Foster who continues to support this heavily-criticised system as in February 2016 the country’s assembly voted against legalising abortions for women suffering from fatal foetal abnormality.

This condition refers to situations where a baby suffers from a serious syndrome that will more than likely cause death before or shortly after its birth.

As this leaves affected women in a mentally draining situation, it played a significant role in the decision making process behind Belfast High Court’s ruling of current laws breaching human rights.

A woman walks past one of Belfast's many pieces of pro-choice artwork (Photo: James Cropper)

A woman walks past one of Belfast’s many pieces of pro-choice artwork [James Cropper]

The mental strain on women suffering from these conditions has been a keenly discussed theme for human rights campaigners who have been pressing for free on-demand abortion services for any woman in the country.

Campaigning has been led by several groups with Amnesty International’s Northern Irish branch describing the country’s current abortion laws as “Victorian” and “from a time before the invention of the lightbulb”.

This was something highlighted by Emma Campbell, member of well-known pro-abortion campaigning group Alliance For Choice, who told Artefact: “We all know how the DUP and Stormont works, it’s not a very mature democracy”.

“The politicians are definitely behind the people of Northern Ireland in terms of understanding human rights and equality,” she added.

A major factor within Northern Ireland’s pro-choice movement has been the difficulty faced by women who are not in a comfortable financial position.

This issue received worldwide attention amongst Human Rights campaigners recently after a Northern Irish woman was handed a three-month suspended sentence for her use of self-inducing abortion pills.

The pills, which the woman used because she couldn’t afford to travel to England, allow women to undergo self-induced abortions and have been used in Northern Ireland to bypass the country’s laws in recent years.

Yet, by taking these pills, women are technically in violation of the UK’s Offences against the Person Act, 1861, which can result in life imprisonment.

This case promoted backlash from pro-choice campaigners who say that it highlights a major issue of how women from lower socio-economic backgrounds are often unable to afford travel to other parts of the UK.

While strong anti-abortion sentiments remain prevalent amongst Northern Ireland’s main political players, the country’s public appear to hold contrasting views that are more in line with their contemporaries in the rest of Britain.

Nearly a year after Belfast high court’s ruled the country’s laws as being in breach of human rights in, Amnesty International released a poll that they claimed showed 72 per cent of Northern Ireland’s population supported more lenient laws on abortion.

In response to the poll, pro-life campaigner Adrianne Peltz said: “People who think women should be denied abortions are in a small and ever-decreasing minority. Only one in six people agree with the status quo for abortion laws.”

“If the law was changed in line with the overwhelming wishes of the public, we would no longer force women, who have been raped or been given a fatal diagnosis for their pregnancy, onto planes to England and away from their families and medical carers,” she added.

An unexpected aspect of this poll was that it discovered 73 per cent of DUP party members supported abortion services being decriminalised in the country, which contradicts the stance of its elected politicians and Northern Ireland’s first minister.

The organisation also brought a 45,000 strong petition to Northern Ireland’s parliament building in Stormont where they called on politicians to bring abortion laws in line with other UK regions.

Abortion Rights Now graffiti seen in Belfast (Photo: James Cropper)

Abortion Rights Now graffiti seen in Belfast [James Cropper]

However, former health minister Jim Wells set up his own petition urging the country’s government to uphold strict legislation, and the DUP politician, alongside pro-life campaigners, presented their 300,000 strong petition on the same steps as Amnesty did just a week earlier.

On the steps of parliament building, Wells told local media that he was “absolutely convinced the people of Northern Ireland do not want that law to extend to this part of the United Kingdom.”

The support for Well’s petition indicates that staunch anti-abortion views are still prevalent throughout Northern Irish society, which is generally synonymous with strict religious ties.

If accurate, it also represents six per cent of Northern Ireland’s current population of 1.8 million, which is a notable total for such a petition.

When asked about this apparent strong support for abortion laws to be maintained in Northern Ireland Emma Campbell from Alliance for Choice suggested that everything in Well’s poll isn’t as it seems.

“The very same boxes of petitions have been arriving in Stormont for the past eight years, it’s not a regulated source, there’s no evidence base, there’s no peer review.

The petition was also fronted by pro-life activist group Precious Life who are widely known for their strong religious position on abortions that consider any termination after conception as part of a “silent holocaust”.

This strong rhetoric is represented by Bernadette Smyth, a regular media voice for pro-life activists who has proclaimed extreme opposition to a recent report that claimed 55 per cent of NI citizens supported abortion laws being relaxed.

Opponents of Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws have often cited that women who cannot afford travel risk being left in an alienated position (Photo: James Cropper)

Opponents of Northern Ireland’s strict abortion laws have often cited that women who cannot afford travel risk being left in an alienated position [James Cropper]

The activist group even staged an “empty manger” protest before Christmas, which they said “represented the emptiness left behind by an abortion”.

Smyth’s controversial persona was also heightened when she was convicted of harassing a former politician for her pro-abortion views.

Dawn Purvis had been working in a Belfast-based health clinic that offers rare abortions in Northern Ireland if they are deemed as exceptional circumstances

After her conviction, Smyth was told by a judge that “this case was run, no-holds barred, in a vicious and malicious fashion.”

Smyth’s conviction shows how the country’s abortion debate has at times turned extremely dirty as strong religious views clash with human rights campaigners.

Smyth later had her conviction overturned.

As Northern Ireland is run by a devolved government it has the power to implement its own laws. However, due to the country’s troubled history, its government is required to be led by both a First and Deputy minister who are taken from the two main political parties.

“We need to help the women who wish to seek a termination in these circumstances and we need to help them now.”

Despite having titles that indicate one position being higher than the other, both two leaders maintain equal powers.

This has most recently seen the leader of the DUP, a pro-British unionist party, Arlene Foster being First Minister and Martin McGuiness from the pro-independence party Sinn Féin as Deputy-first minister.

But the country’s fragile power-sharing has recently been rocked by a political crisis that resulted in McGuinness resigned from his position as deputy-first minister.

Due to the country’s complex power sharing system, McGuinness’ resignation has forced snap elections to be called that could result in Arlene Foster losing her position as Northern Ireland first minister.

This is where the issue of abortion gets stuck, because for any amendments in law to be made it would require support from both sides of the political spectrum, which are fronted by traditionally religious-minded individuals.

With the recent political turmoil in Northern Ireland leaving an election looming, or even a return to direct rule from Westminster, arguments on both sides of the abortion divide will be frustratingly put on hold.

Even so, as no legislation can be passed until the country elects a new government, human rights campaigners may be the most frustrated of both groups.

The Future?

Like many other issues in Northern Irish politics this topic has turned into an argument of how to move the country forward in line with its British counterparts.

So, fifty years after most of Britain legalised abortion what position could Northern Irish women be in come the end of 2017?

Pro-choice campaigners have reason to be optimistic that progress may be made, albeit slowly, by the country’s current health minister Michelle O’Neill who last year set up a working group aimed at assisting women affected by fatal foetal abnormality.

The working group is due to publish its findings in the comings weeks after investigating whether Northern Ireland’s abortion laws are currently in line with contemporary legal systems alongside an assessment of the situations that they leave women in.

A new bill was recently raised by former Northern Irish justice minister David Ford that aimed to legalise abortions for women suffering from the condition. Nonetheless, the bill has since fallen through, something that was celebrated by Precious Life.

Ford, who recently stood down as leader of Northern Ireland’s centrist Alliance party, said: “This is not about disability, it is solely concerned with situations where a foetus cannot survive.”

“We know the desire is there in Northern Ireland for change to the law. We need to help the women who wish to seek a termination in these circumstances and we need to help them now,” he added.

There has also been talk that Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon is considering an offer to provide Northern Irish women with free abortions Scottish NHS hospitals, which would be different from other NHS hospitals outside of the country who refuse women free services.

Although, while welcoming the attempts of politicians at both home and other countries, local pro-choice campaigners told Artefact that it is simply not enough to enforce real change to the country’s legalisation.

Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement was obviously incredibly welcomed but at the same time it should have made our government embarrassed that someone else in another jurisdiction was having to step in and help with healthcare because they can’t provide it,” they told us.

This cautious optimism has been the result of a history of potential progress being dented by Northern Irish politicians who have continuously voted down any real attempt to change strict legislation.

But, with strong evidence that the Northern Irish public are behind abortion legalisation change and high court rulings condemning the Stormont government’s status quo on the issue, 2017 marks an important year for this debate.

The optimism amongst pro-choice campaigners will have to remain contained, until Northern Irish politicians find a solution to their current crisis, no real legislation can be passed until a new government is in place.

Whether the new government sticks to traditionally strict religious beliefs on abortion or follow an apparent public majority is for 2017 to see.

What remains certain though is that the country is still lagging 50 years behind the rest of Britain, something that its majority party the DUP remains such a keen advocate of.

All images by James Cropper


We provide the cheapest world of warcraft gold and fast power leveling !

Death Knight Hero Class

Author: -　Source: http://www.inwowgold.com

  There are a lot of things still being worked out with the Death Knight class such as specific spell abilities. Unsimilar to a traditional caster type however, a Death Knight's spell power comes from runes that are etched into their blade. Think Warcraft III when you think about the possibilities of abilities for the Death Knight. I say possibilities because things are still in process for the development of the class and there will be (of course) a lot of testing for balance done. Given that this is our first Hero class we're unveiling, you can be sure we're going for the coolest of the cool for this class.

1. What is a Hero Class?
- A Hero class is a class that can to be obtained, A Hero class is a completely new idea that Blizzard has just implemented.

2. How do I Unlock my Death Knight?
- The Death Knight will be unlocked through a Long quest chain. This chain will be done by a level 80 and is expected to take a while.
- The quest line's roll is to teach you about your death knight.

3. What will Happen to my Main?
- Your Main will not be transformed into a death knight. Blizzard juggles with this idea but thought that you would be losing something to gain something.
- The death knight will be unlocked and will start at a high level. This is also a part of the hero class. imagine a level one death knight gnome killing boars, lol. Blizzard is not sure on the expected level but they expect it to be within level 50-70.

4. What Gear Will i be able to use?
- Death Knights will be a plate wearing class. But they will not have the ability to use Shields.
- You will get a Special Weapon either Two-Handed or one handed (Intended to dual wield)
- This will be referred to as your "Runeblade(s)"

5. What Gear will my Death Knight start with?
- Your Death Knight will have gear stated as reasonably Decent for your level, ( Blues im assuming.)
- You will start with a mount!

6. What Kind of System will I use?
- Your Death Knight will use a whole new type of system called the Rune System.
- This will be totally personal and you will be able to make it how you want it!
- You will be able to choose the runes placed there. The runes will recharge just like energy does (but slower I imagine)

7. What Makes the Death Knight Different?
- This class is meant to feel completely different from any other class. It is a DPS class, like a rouge but Blizzard is being very careful not to make it over power the rogue but it will be a hearty competitor.
- The Death Knight will not only be a melee class but a summoning class.
- The Death Knight is a VERY, VERY Different class.

   The Death Knight is going to have a mana pool. The runes they inscribe on their weapons are their mana pool (of a sort). As they use their abilities, the runes will be exhausted. After a period of time the runes will refresh. So, they don't have a traditional type of mana pool. You'll most likely see some screenshots of it, but the Death Knight (at current) has three different types of runes that they can inscribe on their weapon: Blood, Frost, and Unholy. Runes can only be inscribed out of combat ( all of this is subject to change as development continues.)

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Desert Trails Publishing was developed to independently publish books that strive to accurately portray issues related to the desert environment and the Native Americans that live there. While our primary focus is rock art within the Sonoran and Colorado deserts, we attempt to integrate issues concerning the Native Americans from the prehistoric to the contemporary time periods. We provide practical means for the average person to become involved and participate in this fascinating world.


What is Speedcubing?

Fun fact about me: I am obsessed with Rubik’s cubes. Although I’m no Yusheng Du (My average solve time is about 40 seconds), I love to sit down with a cube (or tetrahedron, or dodecahedron) and work on my best time. So today, I thought I would introduce you to the exciting world of speedcubing.

What is speedcubing?

Simply put, speedcubing is the act of solving Rubik’s cubes or similar puzzles as quickly as possible. The main governing body for speedcubing is the World Cubing Association, or WCA. They hold international competitions in a variety of events, from the beginner-friendly skewb to the dodecahedronal (12-faced) megaminx.

How can I get into speedcubing?

Personally, I started learning how to solve the standard 3x3x3 Rubik’s cube, as this is a good introduction to ideas like algorithms and the basic notations for the cube. However, you could also begin solving an easier puzzle, such as the skewb, pyraminx, ivy cube, or 2×2. From here, the paths are limitless.

Two speed-cubing competitors stand with referee at centre who points to the person on the right that won the round

You could start solving larger and larger nxnxn puzzles such as the 4×4 (sometimes called the Rubik’s revenge) or the 17×17, the largest mass-produced cube in the world. Z3 cubing on youtube has excellent tutorials for most of these puzzles. Another option would be to learn puzzles with a different mechanism, such as the square-1. The third main option is to explore the wide world of modding.

What is modding?

After you’ve mastered the basic 3×3, there are a plethora of different puzzles which use the same internal mechanisms, but differently shaped or stickered pieces to increase the challenge. The prime examples of these include the many varieties of bandage cubes, the mastermorphix family of puzzles, or the mirror cubes. If you’re not interested in learning how to solve more puzzles, YouTuber Nathan Wilson’s 30 days, 30 mods series features some excellent how-to guides for everything from the simple Fisher cube to an enormous hexagonal prism.


Shenzhen Yuanke Electronic Co.,Ltd;

Contact: Huang Zucai

contact number: 0755-27167848 / 0755-27168227 / 0755-27168667

Telephone: 13590473452 / 13410061678 /13247542112

Fax: 0755-27167816

Address: 19 Building, second industrial zone, Shenzhen, Guangming New District, Gongming.

Home > SMD LED > Details

Application range of violet band (domain)

Time: 2018-10-16　　View: 1004　　Author: Paul
Violet, also called UV (Ultra Violet), is the shortest wavelength of light in visible light. Some bands of violet light are often called "black light" because the light in these bands is invisible to the human eye. UV violet is Optical waves with shorter wavelengths than visible light and longer than X-rays can be distinguished by wavelengths from the perspective of human health and environmental impact:

UV Violet: Visible Light Purple (400-420nm) Usually used in lighting decoration products such as lighting

UVA (315~400nm), also known as long-wave violet or "black light". This kind of application is the widest range, up to the money detector, mosquito lamp, mosquito killer lamp, down to the nail lamp, sterilization lamp beauty equipment.

UVB (280~315nm), also known as medium wave violet.

 UVC (200~280nm), also known as short-wave violet or bactericidal violet. This kind of deep ultraviolet is also used for medical equipment and military purposes. It exposes bare skin to direct damage to the human body. The sterilization effect is strong...

 UVD: vacuum ultraviolet (100-200nm)

 The sunlight contains ultraviolet light in the three bands of UVA, UVB and UVC, but due to the absorption of the ozone layer in the air, 99% of the ultraviolet light reaching the ground is in the UVA band.

 UV violet light plays a big role in skin treatment. UV violet can be used for: psoriasis, allergies, eczema, jaundice and other skin diseases.

 Phototherapy is a clinical method of treatment with light. In different spectra, especially UV light has been used as an effective and universal light source to treat a range of diseases, including: rickets, psoriasis, allergies, Eczema, jaundice, etc. In the process of phototherapy, the skin or damaged part of the patient is irradiated with different wavelengths of violet light according to the actual situation. Most of the wavelengths are in UVA (315nm~410nm) or UVB (280nm~315nm). Scope, during use, UV light can promote the biological reaction of skin cells to inhibit the cell's excessive growth and kill T cells in the skin

 One of the benefits of UV radiation is that it stimulates the production of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a very important role in promoting bone growth and calcium and phosphorus absorption, immune function and blood cell composition. Vitamin D is due to skin exposure to sunlight. It is produced by the reaction of purple light in the sun, especially the violet light in the UVB band, and the vitamin D in the human body can be obtained by irradiating the skin with a transaction or UV light.

In addition to the contribution of UV violet to the medical industry, UV in other wavelength ranges has different uses, such as sterilization, banknote counterfeiting, light curing, printing, industrial, military, etc.
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Microwave Cooking

Food and water molecules have a positive and negative end similar to the north and south polarity of a magnet. The magnetron in a microwave oven generates an alternating current of more than a billion cycles per second. As this extremely rapid alternating microwave frequency bombards food, it causes the molecules of the food to reverse polarity at the same billions of times per second. This agitation creates molecular friction, producing heat but also tearing apart and deforming the food molecules. (We receive some microwave frequencies from the sun, but it is a direct current which does not create molecular friction.) When food is microwaved, amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are converted from the natural trans- and l- forms to biologically inactive and even nerve and kidney toxic cis- and d- forms (University of Vienna, 1989.) In 1992, researchers at Stanford University Medical Center found that warming breast milk in a microwave oven destroyed 98% of the antibodies that provide passive immunity to infants, and destroyed 96% of liposome activity that inhibits bacterial growth. Russian investigations found that cancer causing substances are formed in virtually all microwaved foods. They also found an average of 60 to 90% decreased nutritional value of microwaved foods. The Soviet Union banned the use of microwave ovens in 1976. In 1991, a lawsuit in Oklahoma concerned the use of microwaved blood given as a transfusion for a hip surgery patient. She died from the transfusion. (Blood for transfusions is routinely warmed, but not in a microwave oven.) In a study comparing the consumption of food heated by microwave vs. other methods of cooking, the microwaved food causes a decrease in hemoglobin, an increase in white blood cells (the bodys response to a toxin) and increased LDL (bad) cholesterol. Among those who consume mostly microwaved foods, the following is found: increased rate of digestive disorders; stomach and intestinal cancer, lymphatic and immune disorders, cancers of the lymph and blood, lowered hormone production, loss of memory and concentration, emotional instability, decrease in intelligence, weight problems. I have not found a single study by any governmental body on the effects of consuming microwaved food. I do find that my toaster oven and stovetop work quite well for my cooking and baking needs! References: Comparative Study of Food Prepared Conventionally and in the Microwave Oven, Drs. Hans Hertel and Bernard Blanc, Raum & Zelt, 1992. Health Effects of Microwave Radiation Microwave Ovens, Lita Lee, PhD, 1991. Julian Whitaker, MD, Health and Healing: Tomorrows Medicine Today, 1993. Paul Brodeur, The Zapping of America: Microwaves, Their Deadly Risk and the Cover-Up, 1977. Effects of Microwave Radiation on Anti-infective Factors in Human Milk, Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 89, no. 4, April 1992. Copyright 2004, Linda J. Melos, ND


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 Uses of Bay Leaf, Tejpatta

7 Uses of Bay Leaf

Bay leaf is a leaf that is used in cooking mostly for its aromatic purpose. Bay leaves can be used fresh or dried for their distinctive taste and flavor. There are different types of bay leaves found and all of them are used in different types of cuisines.

1. Bay leaves can be used either Fresh or dried. They are used in cooking due to their distinctive flavour and cinnamon like fragrance that they impart to the food.

2. In Indian cuisine especially, bay leaves are used to flavor rice dishes like biryanis and pulaos. Here they can either be added to the masala paste with the rice or added to the raw rice to imbibe the flavor while cooking.

3. Bay leaves form one of the main ingredients for the Indian Spice Powder, Garam Masala, that is mainly used in a lot of Punjabi cooking.

4. In Indian cuisine, the leaves are also often used whole while tempering for vegetable dishes like subzis or even dals and removed before serving. Some dishes that use bay leaf are Paneer Makhani and Gujarati Dal

5. They can also be used to flavor the filling of certain snacks like kachori as they impart a strong flavor to it.

6. The leaves are often used to flavour soups like tomato soup, or stews that are mostly Mediterranean.

7. The leaves also flavour classic French dishes such as bouillabaisse and bouillon.

To know about Recipes using Bay Leaf, check out our collection.

Uses Of Bay Leaf

A favourite with most people while eating out at any Punjabi restaurant! paneer makhani as the name suggests is a very rich subzi from the lap of Punjab. It uses one of Punjabi cuisines most loved ingredients butter. In traditional Punjabi houses, the women folk make pure white butter from thick creamy milk. The liquid that is left over after the butter has been removed is very delicious and cooling and makes a tasty drink. Soft paneer chunks are dunked into a rich tomato based gravy, a must try for all paneer lovers! Serve with rotis or parathas. Enjoy how to make Paneer Makhani recipe with detailed step by step photos.
With a characteristic sweet and sour taste, this traditional dal recipe is quite reflective of Gujarati culture and uses the typical ingredients and spices. While this is an everyday dal, it takes on a festive hue when ingredients like peanuts and yam are added. For such grand occasions, the dal is boiled over and over again to get the best flavour. Remember that the ideal balance of sweet and sour levels required for the success of this recipe is an art that can be perfected with practice. Do try other traditionals dals like Dhansak Dal, Maa ki Dal and Char Dal ka Dalcha.
A tangy soup of spice-tinged tomatoes, the Cream of Tomato Soup is a choice that perfectly pleases the Indian palate. A combination of tomato puree and freshly cooked tomatoes are combined with spices and blended into a rich soup, which is made all the more luxuriant by the addition of fresh cream. Kindle the appetite by serving this easy to make soup hot and fresh with bread croutons.


Karen Bexfield: Vessel, Zircon

This sculpture is by Karen Bexfield.

Karen Bexfield creates kiln-formed glass sculptures that mirror the organic patterns of nature exploring the relationship between positive and negative space, light and shadow, and the poetic balance they create. She has received multiple awards and honors and her work is exhibited in public and private collections as well as being featured in museum and gallery exhibitions across the United States.

Artist/Designer Karen Bexfield
Height 3.50 inches
Width 9.25 inches
Length 9.25 inches
City Albuquerque, NM
Country USA


Image, Aspirational (creative genre)

A type of advertising genre that features characters and lifestyles that are generally desirable or enviable to consumers. In this type of genre, the desire or envy that people feel for the featured characters and lifestyles is meant to “rub off” onto the associated brand, product, or service.

In-Game Ad

Ads embedded into a video game to promote a brand, product or service. In-Game advertising differs from advergaming, which refers specifically to a game design to advertise a brand, product or service.

Inductive Research

A form of media and market research that involves gathering data on a topic of interest and looking for patterns within the data set to found the development of a new theory. See also “Deductive Research.”

Informed Consent

In media and market research, the process by which a participant learns about and understand the purpose, benefits and potential risks of participating in a market research study, and then agree to participate with full knowledge of possible risks and benefits.

Ad or other promotional material that is either bound into a magazine or newspaper or placed loosely within it.

In media and market research, the exchange of information between an interviewer (see “Interviewer”) and research participant(s), where the interviewer asks the participants one or more questions and records the answer. An interview can be conducted in several ways, including face-to-face (see “Interview, Face-to-Face”), on the phone (see “Interview, Telephone”), online (see “Interview, Online”) or artificial intelligence (see “Artificial Intelligence (AI)”) enabled technology.

Interview, Central Location

A type of interview that is conducted face-to-face in one or more specified locations (for example, at a shopping mall or research facility) rather than at study participants’ homes (see “Interview, In-home”).


Daniel’s Story: When Employee Appreciation Efforts Don’t Seem to Pay Off

Note: Daniel is a fictional character. Clients’ personal stories are always kept strictly confidential.

Our first phone call

“Hi, Audrey. I need your help. Many of my staff members seem to lack motivation so I have been going out of my way to show appreciation and try to make them want to be more engaged, but I am not seeing any improvements.”

“Hi, Daniel. Can you give me some examples of behaviors you observe that you think come from a low level of motivation?”

“It’s not the same for everyone. One or two people tend to come in late several times a week. Two employees chronically miss deadlines. Four or five don’t pay attention to details and often make mistakes. Many have a negative attitude when I tell them we are going to start a new project. And when I ask for volunteers for anything… I get crickets.”

“Can you tell me what efforts you’ve already made to improve motivation and engagement?”

“I read in an article that the majority of employees don’t feel appreciated and that hurts motivation, so I decided to start with staff appreciation efforts. I bring doughnuts and coffee to all of our staff meetings. I make a point to express appreciation for the entire team at every meeting. For our annual retreat, instead of staying on campus or going to a nearby hotel, we booked a meeting room at a hotel right on the beach. We finished early both days to allow people to relax and have some fun. I don’t know what more I can do! Our university already celebrates service anniversaries and our President’s office sends a card to everyone on their birthday.”

“Well, I can tell you that showing appreciation is much more effective when it’s done with one person at a time, highlighting something specific about that individual, than appreciation for an entire team, or individual recognition that is equally given to everyone, like birthdays and anniversaries. But before we go into details regarding what makes people feel appreciated, let’s look at the big picture. There are many important factors that impact motivation. Let’s start there.”

Motivation 101

During our first coaching session, I explained to David that when it comes to motivating employees, the first step is to communicate the “what, why, and how”. Employees need to have a full understanding of what they are expected to accomplish, why it matters, and how to do it successfully. It’s a very basic concept that most leaders have known for a long time, but they often assume that people know things that have not been clearly communicated.

Once the expectations are clear (the what), the purpose and meaning (the why) are understood, and the strategies (the how) are established, obstacles need to be removed. Consciously or not, employees consider three questions before they do something to the best of their ability: (1) “Are they capable of doing it?”, (2) “Will it work?”, and “Is it worth the effort?”

Identifying obstacles

I worked with David on a non-threatening approach to get feedback from his staff members on what might cause discouragement or low engagement. It was essential to strategize and choose very careful what words would be used to avoid making people defensive or uncooperative.

David’s team members were eager to tell him what problems they were facing because they were affecting their job satisfaction and quality of life. David discovered that those who came in felt there was no accountability and no consequences. They thought no one cared. They needed to see more leadership and be reminded of the department’s values and standards.

The two employees who missed deadlines were clearly overworked but afraid to speak up. They were doing their best and didn’t know how to ask for help without looking bad or disappointing David. They overpromised and underdelivered because they didn’t want to say no or to complain or to look incompetent. They needed help to communicate effectively with David.

The employees who made mistakes admitted being bored and disengaged. They needed new challenges and opportunities to contribute to other projects and welcomed new goals and new training.

Another important insight gained was that people were not reluctant to volunteer because they didn’t care but because they did! They had volunteered in the past and didn’t feel heard, or they thought they contributions were not used, or sometimes they felt they were wasting countless hours serving on committees that accomplished very little. They were discouraged because their efforts hadn’t paid off and they didn’t want to feel victimized again.

You see, no amounts of free doughnuts could fix these problems.

Removing obstacles

For the next few weeks, David asked me to coach him on all important aspects of transformational leadership because he realized that his team needed him to be a more effective leader. He knew that once he would change, his employees would change too.

Together, we worked on creating clear standards and expectations with built-in accountability and finding solutions to the problems he had uncovered. He made some modifications to how he delegated projects to make people’s jobs more interesting and building on people’s strengths. He also made sure that workloads were no longer too light or too heavy. Simultaneously, we worked on creating a culture of excellence and pride in quality work.

Once obstacles were removed and his team members felt confident that (1) they were capable of doing their job, (2) their efforts would be successful, and (3) it would be worth it, motivation, engagement, and performance dramatically increased. At that point, we started working on individualized employee appreciation.

How is your team performing?

If you are not fully satisfied with how well your team members are performing, before you go buy more doughnuts, please start looking at what obstacles are preventing them from doing better.

It is a sensitive subject and choosing the wrong words or using the wrong tone while asking for feedback can make your problems worse. I invite you to click here and schedule a call with me to discuss how I can facilitate this process for you. You may have one or two bad apples, but the vast majority of employees want to succeed and want to feel happy and engaged at work. Let’s work together to raise the bar, improve morale, and make your department more successful than ever.

About the author: Dr. Audrey Reille has empowered thousands of professionals through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, speaking engagements, and online courses. Audrey is the go-to coach for leaders in higher education administration. She empowers them to thrive by reducing stress, optimizing strategies, improving professional relationships, and developing a strong and empowered mindset.


Why A Picture Of Four Female European Politicians Went Viral This Weekend

On the far right, you have Ursula von der Leyen. She is the first female Defence Minister in Germany’s history, appointed late last year, and seen by many as a possible successor to Angela Merkel as leader of the Christian Democrats (and possibly Germany).

Next to her sits Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the first female Defence Minister for the Netherlands. (It was actually Hennis-Plasschaert who first tweeted the picture, though her image failed to go viral to same extent as Bildt’s.)

The other two are not the first female Ministers of Defence for their respective countries — Sweden’s Karin Enström is the only one of the four with any military experience, and Norway’s Ine Eriksen Søreide is her country’s fifth female Minister of Defence. Still, the image of the four women appears to show that female Ministers of Defence in Europe are a growing trend: A few years ago, Carme Chacón became Spain’s first female Minister of Defence (she was seven months pregnant at the time), France had a female Defence Minister between 2002 and 2007, and the United Kingdom also recently appointed females to head their defence.

In an age where people are questioning the male-dominated spheres of the military all over the world, such a trend makes sense. Three women recently succeeded in passing the notoriously gruelling U.S. Marine infantry training course, though the U.S. is yet to have its first female Secretary of Defence.

“[Dutch politician] Neelie Kroes once said to me that old boys’ networks are the oldest form of cartels we have in Europe,” Hennis-Plasschaert told The Guardian. “She was right, but things are changing, and women can do similar things now.”

Still, some things take time to change. In the many responses to Bildt’s tweet, a number chided him for his description of the Ministers: They’re women, not girls.

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Cost-benefit analysis framework: February 2019

The cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is part of a regulatory impact analysis statement (RIAS) that is published in the Canada Gazette along with regulations (and proposed regulations) to estimate the incremental benefit and cost impacts to society attributable to those regulations (and proposed regulations). The Government has announced that it intends to publish proposed Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) regulations for liquid fuels in spring/summer 2019 with final regulations planned for 2020 and a coming into force in 2022. Proposed CFS regulations for gaseous and solid fuels are targeted for publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I in 2020 with final regulations planned for 2021 and coming into force in 2023.

This CBA framework deals with the liquid fuel stream design of the proposed CFS regulations, and outlines the approach for the CBA as part of the RIAS that will accompany the 2019 publication of the proposed regulations. It will compare a scenario in which there are no new CFS regulations (the baseline scenario), to a scenario in which the new regulations would set lifecycle carbon intensity standards on liquid fossil fuels produced and imported in Canada (the regulatory scenario). The impacts of the proposed CFS would be assessed in terms of incremental changes in compliance and administrative requirements, emissions and production, and the associated benefits and costs.

Regulatory design

As described in the Clean Fuel Standard Regulatory Design Paper,Footnote 1  liquid fossil fuel primary suppliers (i.e., producers and importers) would be subject to the proposed CFS and would be required to reduce the carbon intensity of liquid fossil fuels they produce and import in Canada by 10 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule (g CO2e/MJ) from 2016 intensity levels by 2030.

The CFS is intended to be a flexible policy tool to reduce the carbon intensity of liquid fossil fuels. Three main categories of compliance and credit-generating actions are anticipated: (1) actions that reduce the carbon intensity of the fossil fuel throughout its lifecycle; (2) supplying low-carbon fuels; and (3) specified end-use fuel switching. A fourth category may be permitted if the Department includes a market stability mechanism such as an emissions reduction fund. The CFS would also allow parties that are not fossil fuel primary suppliers to participate in the credit market as voluntary credit-generators.

Analytical outline

The impacts of the proposed CFS regulations would be assessed in accordance with the Government of Canada’s Cabinet Directive on Regulations and Canadian Cost-Benefit Analysis Guide.Footnote 2  Regulatory impacts would be identified and compared incrementally to the baseline scenario. This guidance indicates that the net present value and the present value of benefits and costs should be based on a minimum forecast of ten years. To the extent possible, the benefits and costs would be quantified and monetized. In accordance with guidance regarding environmental and health regulatory analyses, monetized impacts would be analyzed in present value terms, applying a 3% discount rate for future years. Impacts that cannot be quantified and monetized would be assessed qualitatively.

Baseline scenario

The baseline scenario would be based on the most recent greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and projections.Footnote 3  It would include the federal carbon pollution pricing backstop system (the federal backstop system) and would include the future impact of relevant policies and measures taken, or announced in detail, by the federal, provincial and territorial governments as of the fall of 2018. Key macroeconomic variables such as gross domestic product (GDP), the exchange rate and inflation are aligned to Finance Canada’s projections. Population growth projections are obtained from Statistics Canada and updated in consultation with provinces and territories. Forecasts of oil and natural gas prices and production are taken from the National Energy Board’s most recent Canada’s Energy Future publication.Footnote 4

Regulatory scenario

In the regulatory scenario, compliance with the proposed CFS regulations for the liquid stream would result in incremental domestic GHG emission reductions, capital and operating costs for industry to comply and generate credits, as well as administrative costs for both industry and government. Increased compliance costs would also be expected to have an impact on the demand for energy and therefore on economic output and emissions (see Energy price impacts on GDP and greenhouse gas emissions).

The liquid fuel stream carbon intensity reduction requirement of 10 g CO2e/MJ corresponds to an annual credit compliance obligation of approximately 26 megatonnes (Mt) and up to 23 Mt of incremental GHG emissions reductions in 2030. Some compliance actions taken under the CFS are expected to be attributable (or partially attributable) to other federal and provincial policies and/or industry action, that would have occurred in the absence of the CFS. Given this, it is expected that not all of these actions, and the costs and emission reductions associated with these actions, would be attributable to the CFS in the CBA.

Key benefits

It is expected that the CFS would result in significant incremental GHG emissions reductions. Emissions reductions would be estimated for various compliance scenarios. To monetize the benefits, the social cost of carbon (SCC) would be applied to the expected GHG emissions reductions. The SCC is a measure of the incremental additional damages that are expected from a small increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (or conversely, the avoided damages from a decrease in CO2 emissions). Estimates of the SCC provide a way to value CO2 emission changes in CBA and compare them to the incremental costs of abatement.Footnote 5

There could also be some potential co-benefits due to emissions reductions in air pollutant emissions for certain compliance pathways. Emissions of air pollutants (such as particulate matter) affect health and contribute to air pollution problems such as ground level ozone, haze, and acid rain.Footnote 6  Reductions in air pollutant emissions would improve air quality and could lead to some additional health and environmental benefits. Air quality impacts would be assessed qualitatively and the analysis would look at the degree to which these impacts could change the net result of the CBA. Preliminary information obtained to date suggests that changes in air quality would not have a substantive impact on the net result of the CBA.

Key costs (and savings)

The compliance cost impacts would be assessed by identifying the one-time costs, and ongoing costs and savings where possible, using available evidence. Where there is insufficient cost information, pathways could be assessed qualitatively, as low, medium or high cost with a range of costs to be determined. Voluntary credit-generating costs would be estimated in a similar manner as compliance costs for fossil fuel primary suppliers (regulated parties). Resource costs are directly incurred as a result of the generation of credits, not as a result of the purchase of credits. Therefore, the CBA would treat credit purchases as a transfer payment between parties and thus not a cost to society as a whole. In addition, if credit-generating actions are expected to occur in the absence of the CFS, they would not be attributed to the CFS, and would thus not result in incremental costs.

It is expected that government and industry would incur incremental administrative costs as a result of the CFS. In order to implement the CFS, the Department would incur additional costs related to typical administration, compliance promotion, monitoring and enforcement costs, as well as specific one-time administrative costs related to the design and development of a credit transaction system, the Fuel Lifecycle Assessment Modelling Tool, and the electronic reporting system. Resources would also be required in order to operate and enforce the credit transaction system, verify compliance pathways, as well as to update these tools and systems.

Enforcement costs would include estimates of the number of new inspections required, as well as the annual costs of inspections and enforcement measures, based on the number of new regulated parties.

Industry would incur administrative costs to comply with the CFS. For example, companies would have annual reporting and verification requirements, would be required to register to the credit transaction system and would be required to submit documentation to verify lower-emitting fuel pathways. Administrative impacts on industry would be evaluated using the Government’s Regulatory Cost Calculator, a tool used to monetize increases or decreases in administrative costs on business.Footnote 7  The methodology used for the CBA would be similar to those that were used for recent regulations (such as the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds: Upstream Oil and Gas Sector).Footnote 8

Pathway modelling, data and analysis

The CFS is intended to be flexible on how fossil fuel primary suppliers can comply. Given this, it is not possible to forecast and monetize all possible pathways that may exist now and in the future. To assess CFS impacts, the CBA would identify a representative set of compliance pathways for each category (actions that reduce the carbon intensity of the fossil fuel throughout its lifecycle; supplying low-carbon fuels; and specified end-use fuel switching).

To the extent possible, the representative compliance pathways used for the CBA would consider what has occurred in other jurisdictions with similar policies (such as California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard), as well as pathways that are technologically ready and/or commercially available today. The analysis would attempt to identify the technical and/or economic limits to achieving reductions under each compliance pathway, in order to establish an upper bound on the amount of credits that could possibly be generated for each pathway.

Data sources used to determine the benefit and cost impacts for each representative compliance pathway would be obtained from a literature review of available online sources, papers, studies and data (such as, the IHS report on the Greenhouse Gas Intensity of Oil Sands Production: Today and in the future or from reports by the Kent Group like Canada’s Downstream Logistical Infrastructure: Refining, Biofuel Plants, Pipelines, Terminals, Bulk Plants & Cardlocks).Footnote 9 Footnote 10   Data would also come from internal studies and sources of information (such as the Natural Resources Canada study on the Deployment of Mid-level Ethanol Blends or data from the Department’s Energy, Emissions and Economy Model for Canada).Footnote 11  Information obtained through consultations with the technical working group would also be considered to support the analysis.

Currently, there are no models within the Department designed to model emission reductions, credit supply or economic impacts of a CFS policy in detail. The Department is currently developing a Fuel Lifecycle Assessment Modelling Tool and is updating existing economic models to assess the CFS. The CBA may use new and updated models for publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II, should they become available in time, and as appropriate. For publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I, the CBA would assess each potential pathway in terms of emission reductions and compliance costs through a partial equilibrium analysis. This analysis would assume that the demand for energy remains constant and would not include energy price impacts on GDP and GHG emissions, and can also be referred to as a static analysis.

Impacts from categories of credit-generating actions

The CFS would have three main categories of compliance and credit-generating actions: (1) actions that reduce the carbon intensity of the fossil fuel throughout its lifecycle; (2) supplying low-carbon fuels; and (3) specified end-use fuel switching. The CFS would also have other mechanisms in place to allow for some compliance flexibility. Impacts from these categories of compliance and credit-generating actions as well as compliance flexibilities are described below.

Actions that reduce the carbon intensity of the fossil fuel throughout its lifecycle

It is expected that parties may be able to take actions along the lifecycle of fossil fuels that reduce the carbon intensity of the finished fuel. Credit-generating actions may include, but are not limited to, process improvements, electrification, switching to lower carbon fuels in the production process and carbon capture and storage. These actions could be taken by liquid fossil fuel primary suppliers (e.g., refinery) and by voluntary credit-generators upstream or downstream of a refinery (e.g., oil sands producer).

The CFS is intended to be flexible by providing fossil fuel primary suppliers and voluntary parties with a range of pathways that they could choose to meet their compliance obligations and generate credits. There is uncertainty about the type of process improvements that would be chosen, their costs, credit generation and GHG reduction potential, as well as the extent to which uptake of process improvements would occur in the absence of the CFS. Therefore, it is unclear how many credits would be incremental reductions that could be attributable to the CFS. The Department welcomes feedback and suggestions on costs and the degree to which each compliance pathway could be attributed to the CFS as well as methods for determining incrementality.

Supplying low-carbon fuels

Credits could be generated by supplying low-carbon fuels for use in Canada. Based on similar policies in other jurisdictions (e.g., British Columbia, California), the most-likely representative compliance pathway under this credit-generating category would be to increase the amount of low-carbon fuel (e.g., ethanol, biodiesel, etc.) blended with fossil fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel, etc.). Low-carbon fuel producers and importers (the voluntary credit-generators) would earn credits for providing low-carbon fuels. The most-likely compliance pathways for blending are expected to be as follows: ethanol in gasoline, biodiesel in diesel and hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel (HDRD) in diesel.Footnote 12 Footnote 13

In the baseline scenario, the federal Renewable Fuels Regulations require petroleum producers and importers to have an annual average of 5% renewable fuel content in gasoline (met with ethanol) and 2% renewable fuel content in diesel fuel and heating distillate oil (met with biodiesel and HDRD) based on volume.Footnote 14 However, some provinces blend at higher rates due to their own renewable fuel mandates and low carbon fuel standards, which have increased the national average blend rate up beyond the federal mandate in recent years. The same volume of renewable fuel used to meet the volumetric mandate of the Renewable Fuels Regulations may be used to generate a credit under the CFS. However, given that these actions would have occurred in the absence of the CFS, they would not result in incremental costs or GHG emissions reductions in the CBA.

In the absence of the CFS, the likelihood of increased blending above existing blend mandates and policies is low, since it is generally more expensive to blend low-carbon fuel with fossil fuel.  Given this, the increased use of low-carbon fuels above baseline levels is expected to be attributable to the CFS. Therefore, these costs and the associated emission reduction benefits that are expected to occur above baseline levels would be attributable to the CFS.

In the regulatory scenario, it is expected that low-carbon fuel blending would increase above baseline levels. The CBA would assume that low-carbon fuels are blended up to their expected technical and/or economic limits (e.g., vehicle compatibility or feedstock supply limits leading up to 2030) to determine the maximum amount of credits that could be generated for each blend pathway. To determine how many of these credits would result in incremental GHG reductions, the technical and/or economic limits would be compared to the baseline level of blending.

It is expected that regulated and non-regulated parties affected by the CFS would incur the following cost impacts in order to increase the amount of blending with low-carbon fuels. Producers and importers (the voluntary credit-generators) would supply low-carbon fuels for use in Canada. If low-carbon fuels are supplied domestically, domestic low-carbon fuel suppliers would incur production costs (capital and operating) to build additional capacity. Refiners and terminals (a non-regulated party) would incur net incremental ongoing costs of purchasing low-carbon fuel over fossil fuel, as well as transportation costs to obtain low-carbon fuel. Differences in energy content between low-carbon fuels and fossil fuels would be taken into account.

Terminals would also have to store fossil fuels with higher volumes of low-carbon fuel to meet increased demand due to the CFS. It is expected that they would incur capital and operating costs to install or upgrade infrastructure (such as the installation of additional storage or shipping capacity). Retailers and card-locks (a non-regulated party) would have to provide blended fuel to end-users and are expected to incur capital costs to install tanks and dispensers with higher blending capabilities. The average upfront one-time and ongoing costs for each affected party would then be applied to the estimated number of affected parties to obtain total costs for each blending pathway.

Domestic low-carbon fuel production

The low-carbon fuel supply required for the CFS could be met through imports or domestic production. The CFS would require the use of the Fuel Life Cycle Assessment Tool to calculate facility-specific carbon intensity values, and the same requirements would apply to imported low-carbon fuels. The CFS would allow producers and importers of low-carbon fuels to generate credits based on the amount they supply annually to the Canadian market.

A consistent CFS regulation could provide a reliable and predictable market signal to investors that could encourage increased domestic low-carbon fuel production. The CFS would have the same lifecycle analysis conducted on imports. With no differentiation in the way lifecycle carbon intensity analysis is conducted between domestic and imported low-carbon fuels, firms may elect to import low-carbon fuels, should the option be cheaper than domestic production. Given this, the CBA would consider how much of the demand increase is expected to be captured through domestic capacity expansion versus imports.

The CFS could also incent low-carbon fuel producers and importers to use lower-carbon feedstocks and processes. Consideration is also being given to include some criteria that could provide incentives for low-carbon fuels to be produced in a way that protects against adverse indirect land use changes. The advanced low-carbon fuel sector is still an emerging industry and as such, there is more uncertainty on the variability of business models, technical abilities, and market demand, in comparison to traditional low-carbon fuels and fossil fuels.

As the CFS is intended to be a credit-based system, it is expected that new low-carbon fuel producers would only benefit from the CFS once production is underway. Upfront capital cost barriers could act as a limiting factor towards quick development and adoption of new low-carbon fuel facilities or expansions of existing facilities. As a result, the CBA would consider the degree to which the CFS could incentivize the expansion of a low-carbon fuel industry in Canada.

Specified end-use fuel switching

End-use fuel switching occurs when an end-user of fuel changes or retrofits its combustion devices to be powered by another fuel or energy source (such as electricity, natural gas, propane and hydrogen in transportation). A representative compliance pathway would be electricity used by electric vehicles (EVs). Home charging of EVs would generate credits for distribution utilities, public charging would generate credits for network operators, and private/commercial charging would generate credits for site hosts.

Distribution utilities, site hosts and network operators (voluntary credit-generators) would generate credits proportional to the avoided emissions when factoring lifecycle emissions of the gasoline or diesel being displaced, and of the electricity used to charge the EVs. A baseline of existing electricity used in EVs for a reference year (e.g., 2016) would be considered in the methodology for the calculations for credits.

It is expected that the EV market would continue to expand in the baseline scenario in the absence of the CFS, with corresponding increases in electricity consumption as a substitute to gasoline and diesel. Other policies (such as provincial subsidies) would also create incentives for EV uptake and infrastructure to be built.Footnote 15  Fossil fuel primary suppliers would have the option to purchase credits from electricity distributors, network operators and site hosts, therefore acting as a subsidy for electrification. This subsidy on its own and without other policies factored in would not likely be sufficient to incentivize investment that supports measurable EV uptake. Investments made solely on the basis of generating EV credits in the future, and the associated revenue, would be unlikely since voluntary credit-generators would have little guarantee that their initial investment would drive EV uptake. However, it would provide another incentive that could work in conjunction with other federal and provincial EV policies to increase EV deployment.

Compliance flexibilities

In addition to generating or acquiring credits from other participants in the credit trading system, the CFS would provide additional compliance flexibilities. These flexibilities would be treated as follows in the CBA.

Market stability mechanisms

The Department is considering using an emissions reduction fund as a market stability mechanism to establish a specified price level. Consideration is also being given to a market clearing mechanism, which would be activated if a fossil fuel primary supplier has insufficient credits for compliance. Parties with credits would be able to pledge credits for sale in this market with a specified price limit.

Both mechanisms would function as a price cap on regulatory compliance for industry. The CBA would treat this price level as an upper bound estimate of compliance costs (without consideration of GDP impacts). For actions where there is a lack of information, the CBA could also assume that the costs are equivalent to the specified price level.

An emissions reduction fund contribution could be considered as a transfer payment in the CBA. Transfer payments are financial payments made in which no goods or services are being paid for, and are typically netted out of the CBA since the cost of the payment is offset by an equal but opposite benefit. The CBA may describe the benefits qualitatively given uncertainties about the magnitude and incrementality of eventual benefits. It may also estimate the societal costs at the specified price level and would therefore explicitly show the transfer, understanding that it would cancel out in the final calculation of costs and benefits.

Additional compliance flexibilities

Obligation carry-forward: The CFS would allow 10% of a company’s annual carbon intensity compliance obligation (CO2e exceedances) to be carried-forward into the next compliance period, with a maximum carry-over of 2 years and a 20% annual interest penalty. The CBA would assume that the market clears at the end of each compliance period.

Early credit-generation: The CFS would also allow credits to be generated from each fuel stream (liquid, gaseous and solid) beginning on the date of publication of the final regulations for the liquid fuel stream, which is expected in 2020. All solid or gaseous fuel credits generated before the solid or gaseous fuel stream regulations come into effect could be banked for future compliance. It is expected that there would be limited incentive for firms to generate credits early unless they are relatively low cost and therefore relatively likely to occur in the absence of the CFS. Given this, it is unlikely that the CBA would attribute the costs and the benefits of early credit-generating actions to the CFS.

Trading between streams: When requirements for the liquid fuel stream come into effect, a fossil fuel primary supplier would be able to meet up to 10% of its liquid fuel stream obligation with credits from the gaseous, or solid fuel streams. The incremental cost and benefit impacts of pathways occurring under the other two streams would be assessed similarly to the liquid stream pathways as described in the analytical outline.

Cumulative impacts

Interaction between pathway categories

Offering a broader range of credit-generating pathways versus limiting pathways to those most likely to yield incremental GHG reductions would provide compliance flexibility, but it may result in compliance credits being allocated for certain activities that would have occurred in the baseline scenario. Given this, some compliance pathways may lead to non-incremental actions receiving credits that would substitute for incremental actions. If GHG emission reductions are not attributable to the CFS, the associated costs of achieving those reductions would also not be attributable to the CFS.

The CBA would aim to provide some form of relative ranking of pathways by the expected cost per tonne. Assuming that firms are profit-maximizing, it is likely they would choose the lowest cost compliance pathways first until their compliance obligation is met. The CBA would attempt to establish a distinction between attributable and non-attributable impacts.

Interaction between Clean Fuel Standard and carbon pollution pricing

Fossil fuel primary suppliers may not use credits that have been generated under another

federal, provincial or territorial program or regulations, such as credits from the federal backstop system, for compliance under the CFS. However, as mentioned in the Regulatory Design Paper, the CFS would allow the generation of credits for actions that also generate credits or comply with federal, provincial or territorial carbon pricing systems as long as these actions are otherwise compliant with the CFS.

For example, a refinery that undertakes a process improvement that reduces the carbon intensity of its facility may be entitled to surplus credits under the federal Output Based Pricing System. That same process improvement might also reduce the carbon intensity of the fuel it supplies. Credits would be allowed under the CFS for that process improvement. Similarly, actions taken in response to provincial or territorial carbon pricing systems could also generate credits under the CFS. In this sense, the CFS may complement carbon pricing systems by sending a stronger price signal for change in the production and use of fossil fuels by creating a double-incentive.

For publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I, the baseline scenario for the CFS would include the federal backstop system as well as provincial and territorial carbon pricing policies that are in place or announced in detail as of fall 2018. For example, the CBA would assume that actions are not attributable to the CFS if they overlap with the federal backstop system and are expected to cost below $50 per tonne (given that the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act sets a carbon price of  $50 per tonne of CO2e by 2022, with reviews in 2022).Footnote 16

Energy price impacts on GDP and greenhouse gas emissions

The potential scale of the CFS is large enough that there could be meaningful price effects on energy that could lead to changes in GDP and GHG emissions. Incremental compliance costs to regulated parties as a result of the CFS would likely be passed onto fuel end-users (i.e., households and industrial users) to some extent through increased liquid fossil fuel prices. This would make lower carbon energy sources (e.g., electricity or hydrogen) relatively less expensive in comparison. This price effect would lead to decreased end-use demand for fossil fuels and increased end-use demand for lower carbon energy sources, which could result in additional emissions reductions. These impacts could only be assessed once compliance costs have been estimated, and a CFS-specific macroeconomic model has been developed. It may not be possible to develop such a model for publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I. However, energy price impacts on GDP and GHG emissions would be considered as part of a distributional analysis.

Distributional analysis of impacts

The CBA presents the benefits and costs to Canadian society as whole. However, these impacts may not be uniformly distributed across society so the analysis would consider a range of distributional impacts. The compliance costs associated with the CFS would likely vary by region and by sector, and the CBA would present a breakdown of impacts by total compliance costs and cost per tonne. The analysis would compare the total costs of compliance as a proportion of the total costs of business by sector and put costs into context via other relevant metrics. The analysis would also consider the likelihood that compliance costs are passed onto consumers of fuels and the impact this may have on households and on the competitiveness of other sectors of the economy. In addition, the distributional analysis would also consider the degree to which the CFS could provide incentives for investment in lower carbon energy sources that could benefit clean technology sectors.

Uncertainty of impact estimates

Where possible, sensitivity analyses would be included in the CBA to assess the impact of changes to key parameters, which may be higher or lower than indicated by available evidence, on the expected results of the CFS. To address these issues, the analysis may consider alternate scenarios (e.g., high, low) to assess the impacts under alternate conditions. Key parameters and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following:

Price and production forecasts: The analysis would be sensitive to the assumptions and forecasts for energy prices over the relevant time period, which would impact production forecasts. To address this, the analysis may consider presenting high and low scenarios for fuel and energy price forecasts.

Future policies: The analysis would assume that no other new policies come into force before 2030.

Pathway choice: There is a range of compliance pathways that regulated parties could choose to meet their compliance obligations, and the pathways that would be proposed by industry are uncertain. The CBA may consider demonstrating alternative compliance scenarios or upper bound cost and benefit estimates to show a range of possible impacts.

Low-carbon fuel assumptions: The analysis would be sensitive to assumptions around the low-carbon fuel content composition, the expected amount of imports versus domestic production of low-carbon fuels, as well as the assumed feedstock contribution to low-carbon fuel volumes. To address this, the CBA may consider presenting high and low scenarios for these parameters.

Emissions reduction fund benefits: Given the absence of a rigorous means to forecast the benefits of future projects, a sensitivity analysis may be required to test different assumptions regarding the potential returns from emissions reduction fund investments.

Benefits valuation: The values used to determine the benefits of the CFS are also subject to uncertainty.  To address this, the CBA could present scenarios where the SCC estimate is lower or higher than the central case.

Next steps

This CBA framework outlines the Department’s approach for analysis for the 2019 publication of the RIAS in the Canada Gazette, Part I in spring/summer. All feedback will be under careful consideration in the development of the analysis.

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